Hoyer Opposes Lack of Pay Parity

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) has expressed his disappointment in the decision to increase federal employees’ pay by 1.9 percent for the calendar year 2018, while military personnel will have a pay increase of 2.1 percent. Congressman Hoyer says the lack of pay parity is disappointing because military and civilian employees should receive the same pay raises.

Congressman Hoyer was noting the military personnel who are not currently working in hostile conditions.

“A fair and rational pay plan for 2018 would provide federal civilian employees, many of whom serve side-by-side military personnel, with the same average raise as members of the armed services not serving in hostile conditions,” Hoyer said in a statement that was released in early September.

Congressman Hoyer said the employees and military personnel deserve pay parity.

“The concept of pay parity, which I have long supported, is good, rational policy that demonstrates the service of federal employees is valued by our nation,” the congressman said.

Military personnel who are not working in hostile conditions often have jobs that are similar to their civilian counterparts, so differences in pay raises do not make sense, he said.

“The lack of pay parity between federal civilian employees and their counterparts in the military, coupled with proposed changes to the federal retirement system, is troubling,” the congressman said. “If enacted, these changes would impose significant new costs on civilian employees, both in terms of their net take home pay and their retirement benefits when they retire from the federal workforce. When Congress returns to session next week, I will urge both Republicans and Democrats to include pay parity in the spending measure that must be passed by the end of September.”

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For more information about House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.